


Not our honeymoon in Okinawa!

by Takamin



Category: Inazuma Eleven GO
Genre: Classic Gay Aquarium Date, Fluff and Humor, M/M, Makeup, TW: Homophobia, aoi is actually irrelevant to the plot, dw about nsfw content tho, i can't believe i wrote the beach episode inago never had, it's just a reference, my kyoten works are NEVER going to have nsfw content, teen and up audiences because of certain scene (chapter 3) and certain sentence (chapter 1), there's a bit of angst but it has a happy ending so dw, they're kids ffs
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-09-18
Updated: 2020-10-17
Packaged: 2021-03-08 03:53:55
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 16,775
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26529286
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Takamin/pseuds/Takamin
Summary: The Raimon soccer team goes on a well-deserved vacation to Okinawa. This gets Tenma excited, wanting his parents and his boyfriend to meet, thinking they'll get along.But, when they finally meet, things don't go as expected.
Relationships: Matsukaze Tenma/Tsurugi Kyousuke, one-sided Matsukaze Tenma/Sorano Aoi
Comments: 3
Kudos: 19





	1. The arrival

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> new fic!
> 
> i wanted to make this one more humorous than special bond, which didn't really have any funny elements. i think it ended up coming out kinda bland because of that.
> 
> i think this one is much better in that aspect! hope y'all enjoy it! ( ´ ▽ ` ).｡ｏ♡

“I haven’t been to Okinawa in so long…. Haven’t seen my parents in years…,” Tenma whispered, looking at the clear ocean. “But I’m sure they’ll like you!” He said, turning his gaze to the person next to him.

The security in Tenma’s voice made Kyousuke smile, his eyes unable to look away from his face.  
Summer break now, the Raimon’s soccer team had been invited to spend a small vacation in Okinawa (courtesy from Gouenji, who went with them). Some people in the team had wanted to refuse the treat, but the tickets had already been bought. They had no choice but to go so Gouenji’s money hadn’t been wasted.

* * *

In the ferry, after Nishizono had informed the rest of the team of Tenma’s Okinawan roots, the captain was being bombarded with a countless quantity of questions. Some were normal questions like “What kind of food is served there?”; some were… curious questions, such as “Do any ninjas live there?”

Despite having spent the last couple hours just answering questions, Tenma managed to get free time for himself and his boyfriend. They were looking at the sea, an unusual sight for the striker. It was surprising how bright the water appeared to be, even though it was near midnight.

“The water looks beautiful, doesn’t it?” Tenma commented. “But we should go to sleep. Otherwise, we’ll be tired tomorrow and won’t be able to do anything!” He turned around and started to lead the way.

“We won't arrive to Okinawa until the evening though,” Kyousuke said, following Tenma to their cabin.

“You’ll miss out all the fun things we can do in the morning!” Tenma extended his arms, nearly skipping. Thinking about tomorrow lit his heart, causing a wide smile to appear on his face.

“You say that as if you usually wake up early,” Kyousuke teased, smirking when Tenma turned to look at him directly in the eyes.

The shorter boy pouted. “I don’t sleep that much!”

Kyousuke saved a giggle and passed Tenma. “Whatever you say, sleepyhead.”

Tenma caught up to Kyousuke’s speed and flashed a little smirk on his face. “At least I don’t get distracted in the lockers by watching my boyfriend undress.”

Kyousuke blushed. “That was _one_ time.”

Tenma’s smirk became more smug. “That’s not what Kariya and Shindou-senpai have told me.”

Kyousuke decided to shut up, admitting his defeat. It wasn’t his fault that Tenma was more built than he had thought.  
Next day, evening.

* * *

The ferry finally arrived to Naha.

As soon as he took a step into the port, the captain of the soccer team was surprised by an unexpected person welcoming him. Someone he hadn’t seen in years, but still was close to him.

His mother.

His mother was there.

“Tenma, you’ve grown so much!” The woman said while hugging her son. “I knew Kino-san would take care of you.” She separated from the embrace and looked at the people behind Tenma. “And this must be the soccer team!”

Tenma nodded. He took turns to present everyone and then ended with the people from his same year. “This is Shinsuke, this is Kariya, this is Hikaru… and you already know Aoi, right?” He placed a hand on Kyousuke’s shoulder, “And this is Tsurugi!” he said with a shining face.

Tenma's happy expression made Kyousuke’s heart skip a beat. He averted his gaze from him.

Kyousuke’s appearance darkened the expression on the face of Tenma’s mother. The boy’s looks didn’t give her any good vibes. Cold interaction added to that and… That kid was a sign of her son going the wrong path. Tenma’s mother hoped that they actually didn’t interact a lot.

“Oh,” Tenma turned to look at his mother, “you came to take me home, right?”

His mother nodded.

“Ah, then– Wait, I can’t!” Tenma blurted out. “Gouenji-san already booked a hotel room for me!”

Gouenji approached him. “It’s nothing big, Tenma. It wasn’t expensive. It’s only a three star hotel, after all.”

“W-Well, then… I’ll go home,” Tenma said, feeling bad for wasting Gouenji’s money. 

* * *

Seto elbowed Sorano. “Didn’t get to share a room with him, huh.”

Sorano blushed and frowned. “Tsurugi-kun and him are dating, y’know.”

“Oh, c’mon! You could totally _snatch_ Tenma away from Tsurugi!” Seto retorted.

“That wouldn’t be nice!” Sorano answered back.

“Besides,” Yamana started as she took a photo of the girls fighting, “those two are lovebirds. The way they look at each other… I wish Shin-sama looked at me that way!” She took a picture of Shindou’s side profile. “But I have no chance against Kirino…” 

* * *

“By the way, Tenma,” Tenma’s mother started to say before her son got into the car, “you can invite someone over to dinner if you want. Though not the entire team, of course…,” she added at the end when she saw her son’s glittering gaze.

“Oh. Well then…” Tenma approached Kyousuke, who looked startled by his boyfriend’s sudden movement. “Tsurugi, do you want to come over and have dinner with us?”

Kyousuke considered the offer for a moment and nodded, showing a smile. He turned around. “Shindou-senpai, could you take my suitcase to my hotel room?”

“Of course,” Shindou responded with a smile.

“ _Not him…!_ ” Tenma’s mother thought, watching Kyousuke talk with his teammates. If that boy tried to do something to her son, she would…

As soon as the boys got into the car, the woman started driving.

“So, uhm… you’re the ace striker, right?” The mother asked.

“Yes,” Kyousuke responded.

“Uh, how long have you known each other for?” She asked this time.

“Like four months, right? Maybe a little more?” Tenma responded to his mother and asked his boyfriend.

Kyousuke nodded.

“Hm… woah, wait! We’ve known each other for that little?! No way…!” Tenma said astonished.

“It also feels like it’s been longer for me…” Kyousuke admitted. It felt like they had known each other since forever.

“I guess you really can become attached to someone in just a couple months, huh…” Tenma murmured.

Tenma’s mother tried her best to not cause a car accident. “ _Don’t tell me you got attached to this delinquent…!_ ” She let the couple talk for a while, until they were near her and her husband’s place.

“Hey Tenma, how is Aoi-chan? You two always were together when you were little.” The mother asked to her son.

“Aoi?” Tenma looked at his mother. “She’s doing fine, I think. She spends a lot of time with the other girls.” His gaze shifted to the Okinawan sky. “Now that I think about it… why did she spend so much time with me? It’s not like she also wanted to play soccer. And I only practiced my dribbling anyways.”

“Don’t you think she has a crush on you?” The woman parked her car. “She could be your future wife!”

“No way!” Tenma retaliated. “Why would I marry her?! I’ll marry Tsurugi instead!” He hugged Kyousuke as if that confirmed his affirmation.

Kyousuke showed a strong color of red on his cheeks. “We’re too young for that.”

Tenma’s mother laughed awkwardly. Kids these days… sure had curious jokes. “Well… let’s go. I’m sure Dad has already done dinner.”

“Uh? Dad’s home? I thought he went to work at this hour.” Tenma walked beside Kyousuke, who was feeling that maybe they shouldn’t tell Tenma’s parents about their relationship.

“Since you’re only going to be here for three days, we decided to take some days off,” the mother said as she unlocked the door.

Tenma’s father greeted his son and Kyousuke. Well, at least Mr. Matsukaze didn’t seem to have any prejudices…

As soon as everyone sat on a chair around the dinner table, Tenma presented Kyousuke to his father.

“Tsurugi-kun, right? Tell me, how did you two meet?” The father asked with curiosity.

Oh. Kyousuke gulped. That wasn’t a good question to start. “The soccer team… when I joined the soccer team.”

“We didn’t have the best start, didn’t we?” Tenma laughed, holding Kyousuke’s hand underneath the table. “But we’ve come a long way since then.”

“Tenma…,” Kyousuke whispered.

“… What happened that day? You’re saying it wasn't a good start,” Tenma’s mother asked with worry. Kyousuke _really_ meant trouble…

“It’s a long story,” Tenma started, “but, when we first joined the soccer team, Tsurugi was part of Fifth Sector. He was a SEED. I still remember the hits you gave me with that football…” He turned his gaze to look at Kyousuke.

Kyousuke felt a weight on his heart. Refusing to make eye contact, he avoided Tenma's eyes. He had always regretted beating up Tenma, especially after doing it more than once. His hand felt more pressure being applied onto it.

“You already were so strong at that time! I only knew a bit of dribbling, haha…” Tenma laughed, then turned his gaze towards his parents. “What's wrong?”

Tenma noticed his parents looking at Kyousuke with wary eyes. They also stopped eating.

“… W-Woah, wait! It’s not what you think!” Tenma stammered. “Tsurugi has helped me a lot! He’s always encouraging me to do my best and has taught me a lot about soccer!”

“Tenma, we didn’t say anything…,” Tenma’s father mumbled, but his son didn’t listen to him.

“We even are boyfriends!” Tenma exclaimed, slamming his hands on the table and getting up from his seat.

Kyousuke kept himself quiet.

Everyone was quiet for a second.

“You kids… sure have curious ways to call your best friends these days,” the father commented, trying to lighten the situation.

“What do you mean?” Tenma asked, not understanding the problem. “We _are_ dating. He asked me out just before our final match at Holy Road.”

“Tenma… both of you are boys. You cannot date,” the mother interrupted her son.

“Why not?” Tenma sat on his chair again. “People always say that you should be with the person you love, right? I’m with the person I love!” He placed a hand on Kyousuke’s shoulder and frowned. What did their gender even have to do with their relationship? They hugged, they kissed… they didn’t do anything bad.

“It isn’t something normal. When I was little…,” Tenma’s mother started rambling about her childhood.

Kyousuke frowned, lowering his gaze. This had been a bad idea. Not just coming here– it had been a mistake to fall in love with Tenma. It wasn’t a thing he could’ve done something about; he hadn’t chosen how he felt for the brunet. But… he could’ve kept his mouth shut.

If he hadn’t said anything that day, they’d still be friends and none of this would’ve happened.

The boy was far too good for him.

Tenma deserved someone much, much better.

Not him, a lonely and cold person.

A good for nothing.

A… A…

“Tsurugi…” Tenma noticed the slight movement of Kyousuke’s irises. A small movement that would go unnoticed by most people’s eyes, but not his. “Stay here tonight.” He gripped his boyfriend’s hand again.

“What?” Kyousuke looked with wide eyes at his boyfriend.

“… And because they did that, many girls were expelled from— … What?” The woman stopped talking.

“Tsurugi is going to sleep here tonight.” Tenma tightened his grip.

“No, he isn’t,” Tenma’s father reaffirmed.

Before Tenma could say anything else, Kyousuke laid a hand on his shoulder. “Tenma. The hotel.”

Tenma lowered his gaze and sighed. “Oh yeah, you’re right. Well… I’ll accompany you to it. I know where it is.” He looked at his parents. “I’ll be right back.”

Tenma’s parents didn’t say anything. Their son’s pained and tired expression didn’t give them the energy to do so. Perhaps they had been too harsh with them.  
As they were approaching the hotel (which, thankfully, was near Tenma’s home), Tenma caught Kyousuke’s attention. “Tsurugi. Come to my place in a couple of hours. I’ll open the door for you.”

“Tenma, that’s…” Kyousuke’s expression was the complete opposite of Tenma’s determined gaze.

“I know you have the hotel room, but…! But… I really want to be with you…” Tenma sighed, looking at the ground.

“What if your parents caught us?” Kyousuke asked. “They didn’t seem to like me very much.”

“Who cares about my parents! What they said was ridiculous!” Tenma cried. “You’ll just have to leave a bit early, before they wake up. It’ll work out somehow!”

“You…,” Kyousuke started, and quickly huffed out a laugh. “That’s my Tenma.”

“What do you mean?” Tenma asked, raising a brow.

“It’s nothing,” Kyousuke responded, stopping in front of the hotel. “Goodnight, Tenma. I’ll see you in an hour.” He smiled and leaned down, kissing his boyfriend’s forehead after pushing away his bangs.

Tenma smiled back. “See you in an hour.” 

* * *

“Tsurugi, you came back!” Nishizono turned off his phone after seeing the blue-haired boy enter the room. “How did dinner go?”

“Bad,” Kyousuke answered. Just as Nishizono was opening his mouth again, Kyousuke asked, “Nishizono, can you do me a favor?”

Nishizono blinked, but nodded. That was something very unusual to hear, especially from Kyousuke. “Sure. What is it?” 

* * *

One hour later, Kyousuke was in front of Tenma’s place.

He texted him.

 **You:** _uber. am outside._

 **Angel:** _lol_

In a couple of minutes, he heard Tenma open the door.

“Tsurugi!” Tenma tackled Kyousuke and wrapped his arms around him.

Kyousuke hugged Tenma back. “Tenma!” He said playfully, brushing the other’s hair with his fingers.

Tenma separated from the hug. “Follow me. Oh, and take your shoes off! And make sure to not make any noise!”

Kyousuke nodded, a comment about Tenma being much noisier than he could ever be staying in his throat. He could picture the pout that comment would cause and it made him smile. Tenma was so cute.

He followed Tenma to his bedroom and lay on his bed, beside him.

It took Tenma no time to snuggle against Kyousuke.

Kyousuke decided to pet Tenma’s hair, stroking every lock of hair with his fingers.

Tenma smiled softly when he felt Kyousuke’s hand on his head. His eyes focused on Kyousuke’s messy hair. On the sharp shape of his eyes, which was softened by the gentle yet bright color of his irises. On his rosy cheeks. On his tender gaze. On… on…

When Tenma’s hand took his cheek, Kyousuke made the unconscious decision of rubbing it against the palm. He could feel his cheeks turning redder.

“You’re beautiful,” Tenma whispered.

… Silence.

There was a silence between the two boys as both of them turned a deep shade of red.

Kyousuke was looking with wide eyes at Tenma, whereas Tenma was giving Kyousuke the exact same look. It had been so sudden and honest… Tenma felt his words get caught in his throat. It wasn’t a lie. Kyousuke was, indeed, very beautiful. But saying his thoughts out loud —without even thinking— still embarrassed him.

Kyousuke took Tenma’s hand and pressed it against his own cheek. He said with a single whisper, “You’re handsome.”

Tenma wondered if he could turn any redder, feeling his body much hotter.

Apparently, he could, considering Kyousuke got worried. “W-What’s wrong?”

“You can’t just say that! Your voice… is way too smooth! I feel like I’ve been blessed…” Tenma happily complained.

Kyousuke turned crimson. He often got compliments related to his voice, but he hadn’t thought it was so pleasant to hear. “That’s nonsense. It’s _not_ that good.”

“Whatever you say, I still got my blessing,” Tenma joked. “We should go to sleep.”

Kyousuke agreed with him and held Tenma’s body close.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i wanted the messages to look different, but i don't know how to create a work skin and i'm still getting used to the html stuff... oh well, maybe next time (ーー;)
> 
> i honestly hope i have enough time to edit the next chapter, with school and all that...
> 
> also, updates will be weekly
> 
> i'd love to receive comments and kudos from everyone, so i'd be very grateful if you did so! ＼(＾▽＾)／


	2. Today we went to the aquarium!

Slowly opening his eyes, Tenma was awakened by someone shaking his body.

“Wha… what?” His drowsy voice asked.

“You really sleep a lot,” Kyousuke teased, poking Tenma’s cheek. “I have to go, Tenma.”

Tenma’s eyes went wide and he got on his knees, startling Kyousuke. Before he could ask the reason for his boyfriend’s departure, he remembered what happened yesterday with his parents. “Oh. Goodbye, then…” Something stirred in his stomach, but he couldn’t tell why.

Kyousuke laid his hands on Tenma’s shoulders. “Good… bye.” Despite his words, he stayed there, staring at Tenma like an idiot. He tried to maintain eye contact as much as possible, feeling his face hot.

“T-Tsurugi…?” Tenma blushed as well, unsure of what Kyousuke wanted to do. That is until Kyousuke started to lean into him. When Tenma understood, he took Kyousuke’s cheek and kissed him. As soon as he pulled back, he let out a giggle. “You still aren’t accustomed to those.”

Kyousuke, very aware of his insanely red face, averted his gaze from Tenma’s. “I-I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

Tenma let another giggle out. Kyousuke was too cute.

“Well… I should get going now,” Kyousuke said, standing up.

“Mhm…” Tenma nodded. “See you later.”

“See you later.” Kyousuke smiled and left.

* * *

Tenma hadn’t been able to go back to sleep since then. He spent his time on his phone, until he got bored. Having checked the hour, he decided to get up. He’ll make his parents breakfast, just to surprise them.

He dressed up and went to the kitchen, then rechecked the hour.

“Mm… one hour…,” he said to himself. “Alright, I have enough time! Let’s get this done!”

Helping Kino so much with her recipes had its benefits.

* * *

“Good morning, Tenma… Tenma?” The mother asked as she stepped into the kitchen, her nose smelling something sweet. “What are you doing?”

“Good morning! I’m doing pancakes,” Tenma chirped as he flipped another one.

The woman filled the electric kettle with water and turned it on. “You… know how to do those?”

Tenma nodded. “Aki-nee does sweets every weekend and I often help her with them. Besides, I’m following a recipe.” He pointed at his phone.

The mother put a couple teaspoons of coffee in her mug and waited for the water to be done. “I see.” She smiled, looking at the delicious–looking plate beside the pan Tenma was using. “They look great.”

“Thank you!” Tenma smiled, turning down the fire and placing the last pancake on the pile. He placed the plate on the table. The plate, in less than a second, got a pancake stolen by a feminine hand.

“These _really_ are good…,” Tenma’s mother said after taking a bite.

“Really?” Tenma asked, walking towards the sink. He turned on the water and took the sponge. “I’m glad.”

“Wait, Tenma—” His mother started as she munched her pancake, lifting a hand to tell her son to stop— “I’ll do the dishes. You have to leave early, right? So you should have breakfast. Especially if you made these yourself… And I’m guessing you won’t want to arrive late, right?”

Tenma obeyed his mother and stood away from the sink, opening the fridge instead and getting out a can of whipped cream. Then opened one of the cupboards to get a plate. He shook his head. “I would be in trouble if I arrived late…” Sitting in front of his mother, he placed a couple of pancakes on the plate. “I still don’t know where we’re going today. Coach Endou wanted to keep it a secret, but he told us to wake up very early.”

The woman got up when the kettle made a clicking sound and poured the hot water in her mug. “Mm? Sounds interesting.” She stirred the liquid. “I hope you have fun, wherever you go.”

“Thank you, mom.” Tenma said while shaking the can of whipped cream. “By the way, where’s dad?” He stopped shaking it and sprayed the fluffy cream on his breakfast. Leaning a bit back, he opened the drawer containing the cutlery, getting himself a fork and a knife.

“Still sleeping. When he announced yesterday that he was going to take a break, the office almost demolished him.” She sipped her coffee. Her nose wrinkled when she tasted it and requested her son to pass her the can of whipped cream. After spraying the cream on the coffee and stirring it, it tasted much better. “By the way, at what time do you have to be there?” Her eyes focused on the kitchen’s clock.

“7:30, why?” Tenma asked with slight hesitance, already expecting the worst.

“Don’t look at me like that,” the mother laughed. “You still have half an hour left. The hotel is near, right? You’ll make it in time.”

Tenma nodded and peacefully ate his pancakes.

* * *

“I’m leaving, mom!” Tenma said to his mother, readjusting the fanny pack across his chest.

“Bye, sweetheart!” She told him.

Tenma left his home, wondering what his coach and Gouenji had prepared for them.

* * *

“Good morning everyone!” Tenma greeted his teammates as soon as he saw them. They greeted him back.

“Just in time, Tenma!” Endou welcomed him and started doing the roll call. When he finished, he gave the team a look that fell between glee and defiance. “Does anyone know what we’re gonna do today?”

“Go shopping?” Shindou asked with a cute smile and sparkly eyes.

Kariya huffed. “Shindou-senpai, you’re the only one with enough money to be excited about that…”

Tenma lifted a hand. “Soccer?!”

“We came here to _not_ play soccer!” Kurama retorted.

“Fishing?” Hamano asked, playing with the swimming goggles hanging from his neck.

Endou looked at him. “You’re getting closer!” He looked at the man beside him. “Mind doing the honors?”

Gouenji shook his head. “We’ll be going to the Churaumi Aquarium.”

“T-The Churaumi Aquarium?” Tenma said with as much disbelief as the rest of the team was sharing with him. “But that’s in Motobu! It’s far from here…!”

Endou smiled. “Gouenji?”

Gouenji nodded. “We have hired a bus to take us there.”

“Gouenji-san… sure is amazing…,” Sangoku whispered to himself.

The sound of a horn startled the group.

The team turned to the right and…

“I-It’s already here?!”

* * *

“Did you arrive to the hotel in time?” Tenma whispered to the person beside him.

Kyousuke nodded. “If I hadn’t, Nishizono would’ve covered me up.” He looked at the goalkeeper sitting beside Tenma.

“Really?” Tenma turned his head. “Thank you, Shinsuke.”

“Uh? What?” Nishizono asked, not knowing what his friends had been talking about.

“The favor,” Kyousuke responded.

“Oh.” Nishizono laughed and scratched the back of his head. “It was nothing! I didn’t have to do anything at the end.”

* * *

Having gotten off the bus and passed through the entrance, the team dissolved itself in four groups.

The third years decided to go together. Kirino dragged all the second years inside as soon as possible to make sure Kariya didn’t have enough time to join them. A disappointed Kariya completed the first years’ group. The girls decided to form their usual gang.

“Where should we go first?” Kageyama asked, looking at the map on his phone.

“We’re not going to have enough time to see everything so…” Tenma crossed his arms, thinking. “There are different zones, right? Let’s choose one per person. We’ll go first to the one closer to us and begin from there. Then, when we end, if we still have some time left, we can check out something else.”

“As expected from our captain…,” said an amazed Kariya.

“I’d like to go to The Coral Sea! It must be very pretty,” Kageyama commented.

Kariya’s head appeared from behind Kageyama’s shoulder. “‘Deep Sea…?’ That sounds fun,” he snickered. “I want to go there!”

“Then, let’s go to The Ocean Planetarium after that!” Nishizono said.

Tenma looked at his boyfriend. “Tsurugi?”

Kyousuke lifted his gaze from his phone’s screen. “Life in Inoh.”

“What about you, Tenma?” Kageyama asked his captain.

“Me? Mm…” Tenma looked at the digital map. “Kuroshio Sea looks interesting!”

“It’s settled then.” Kariya smirked. “Let's go!”

* * *

First stop, Life in Inoh.

It seemed the only thing there was a touch pool with all sorts of non-dangerous sea creatures.

Kyousuke kneeled down and hesitantly tried to pet a sea slug’s head. Seeing that it wasn’t moving, he offered it his finger, wondering if the little creature would hop on it. Honey-like eyes watched the sea slug faintly move.

It jumped on the finger.

Kyousuke felt his heart skip, letting out a soft gasp.

“Oh, you like sea slugs, Tsurugi?” Tenma asked, kneeling beside him.

Kyousuke was alarmed by the voice he heard all of a sudden, but calmed down when he realized it was Tenma. His cheeks turned pink. “They’re… they’re cute.” He felt embarrassed. This didn’t fit his cool persona at all.

“That one seems to have liked you a lot!” Tenma put a finger inside the water. “I wonder if any of them will like me.”

As Tenma waited for something to happen, Kyousuke approached him with a slow pace. When he felt their arms touch, he stopped, his finger almost touching Tenma’s. He stared at his sea slug, wondering if it would do something.

It hopped from his finger to Tenma’s.

Tenma’s eyes shined. “Tsurugi…”

Kariya approached the couple and kneeled beside Kyousuke, watching the couple’s fingers play with the sea slug. “Is that your son?”

Tenma felt his face turn crimson. “I don’t know if it’s male or female.”

“I think sea slugs are hermaphrodite,” Kyousuke responded with an equally crimson face.

“How would you call it?” Tenma asked his partner.

Kariya pouted. “Don’t tell me you’re going to actually adopt it…”

“I’d name it Masaki,” Kyousuke responded. He bit his lip —trying to suppress a laugh— when Kariya stood up and shouted _‘What?! Why?!’_.

“By the way, Kariya,” Tenma started, “where are Hikaru and Shinsuke?”

“I think they’re checking out some sort of starfish,” Kariya responded, looking at his right. “That thing is not as smooth as it looks in cartoons.”

“Really?” Tenma stood up. “I’m going to check out the starfish. Do you want to come, Tsurugi?”

Kyousuke shook his head, now feeling a bit blue. He didn’t have anyone to share the sea slug with now. The creature stopped moving, resting on his finger. He wondered if it also felt sad because Tenma left.

“… Can I pet it?” Kariya asked.

“I don’t know.” Kyousuke looked at the sea slug, noticing it was moving again. He petted its head using the index finger of his other hand. “I don’t know if Masaki likes you.”

Kariya blushed and stood up, clenching his fists. “Its name _cannot_ be Masaki!”

Kyousuke smirked, though he felt bad for the shorter boy. The other first years already made enough fun of Kariya (even if it wasn’t on purpose). He didn’t feel like joining them. Therefore, he turned to Kariya and vaguely lifted his finger, making sure it didn’t get out of the water and the sea slug didn’t get scared.

Kariya looked at him with a raised brow.

“When you pet it, you shouldn’t put too much pressure on it,” Kyousuke started, turning his gaze to the sea slug. “It’s very soft.”

“O-Oh. I see.” Kariya kneeled down once again and petted the creature on Kyousuke’s finger.

* * *

Next, The Coral Sea.

The coral reefs looked mesmerizing. The corals, combinated with the small fishes and seaweed populating the area, created a very relaxing yet colorful visual experience. The sunlight from outside helped a lot enhance the place’s charm.

“This looks incredible!” Kageyama almost pressed his face against the tank’s glass, watching the schools peacefully swimming around the corals.

“More incredible are those two,” Kariya, who was beside him, whispered. “Hey!” He got Kyousuke and Tenma’s attention, who were trying to take a good selfie. “Want us to leave you alone for a while?”

Nishizono stifled a laugh as the couple blushed and went back to their issue at hand.

Kageyama elbowed Kariya. “You shouldn’t do that! They’re just trying to take a selfie.”

“It was a joke, it was a joke.” Kariya brushed him off. “They just get a bit cheesy sometimes, y’know?”

Hikaru frowned and huffed. “It’s _their_ relationship, not yours…”

* * *

Kuroshio Sea came next.

“Tsurugi, Tsurugi!” Tenma pulled Kyousuke’s sleeve. “Look at the whales! They’re so big…!”

Kyousuke nodded in agreement.

They weren’t like the whales he had seen in pictures. The ones in the aquarium looked a lot more like sharks and had spots all over them, except for their underside, which was white. And just like sharks, they did look menacing.

“Tenma, Tsurugi!” Nishizono called them over. “Let’s get something from the café!”

“Coming!” Tenma shouted back. “Let’s go, Tsurugi.”

Kyousuke nodded again.

The couple joined the other first years in the queue. After everyone made and got their orders, they chose a table to sit at and watch the fish.

“Vanilla and soda soft serve, hm… can I try it?” Tenma offered a teaspoon of his Okinawan lime ice cream in exchange.

Kyousuke accepted the offer and scooped a bit of his own ice cream, feeding it to Tenma. He smiled when he saw the brunet eat the creamy thing with delight.

Tenma offered his own ice cream–filled spoon to Kyousuke, who accepted it despite being embarrassed about being fed in front of his teammates. But being fed by his boyfriend was an opportunity he couldn’t let pass.

“Soda-flavored? Can I try it as well, Tsurugi?” Nishizono asked the striker.

The taller boy nodded and offered his ice cream to the goalkeeper. His face turned to look at Kageyama and Kariya, who were quietly watching the exchanges their friends were having. “Do you want to try it as well?”

Both boys jumped from their seats. “R-Really?! Thank you!”

Kyousuke wasn’t the type to be very social with others; that would be Tenma, or Nishizono, or anyone else from the team. But, somehow, the interactions he was having with his teammates —with his friends— warmed his heart.

* * *

Deep Sea was next.

Kariya, despite being the one who suggested going there, was immediately terrified by the creatures in the tanks. Frightened by the obscure setting of the place, he took Kyousuke and Tenma’s arms for comfort.

“Kariya?” Tenma raised his brows when he felt the defender get between him and his boyfriend.

“T-This place is scary,” Kariya murmured, tightening his grip of the couple’s arms.

Tenma and Kyousuke looked at each other and sighed. It wouldn’t hurt to accompany the poor guy through the aquarium’s darkness, they guessed. They still could look at the sea creatures the place had.

A tank with a smack caught Kariya’s attention. He forced the other two boys to accompany him. “I didn’t know jellyfish could be this small.”

“I think small jellyfish have always been very popular,” Tenma commented, watching the critters. “I wonder why, though.”

Kyousuke looked at his right and got startled by a menacing, giant crab sitting in one of the tanks. Its claws were large and its legs were incredibly long. Was that thing even real?

Kariya felt Kyousuke move and he looked at his direction. Shivers ran down his spine as he muffled a scream. “T-Tsurugi-kun, t-that’s…”

Kyousuke covered Kariya’s eyes. “Close your eyes. If you don’t see it, it doesn’t exist.”

“Uh? What’s there?” Tenma turned his head to see what was so terrifying, more curious when he felt Kariya’s body tremble. “Oh, a Japanese spider crab! I’ve seen them online! It looks kinda gross, doesn’t it?”

Kariya jumped, his fight or flight mode activating. “S-S-Spider?!”

“It’s not an actual spider. It’s still a crab,” Tenma clarified. “Are you scared as well, Tsurugi?”

“No. Well…” Kyousuke looked at the smack again, feeling his heart calm down. “It’s intimidating.”

“It really is. I hope it never breaks its tank!” Tenma said as a joke.

Kariya didn’t laugh. “D-D-Don’t say that! What if it hears you and gets mad and tries to kill you?!”

“That’s…” Tenma looked around, wanting to find something cute. Something that wouldn’t terrify Kariya. “Look at the fish there! I think they’re sharks? They have funny noses!”

Kyousuke uncovered Kariya’s eyes. Both boys followed Tenma’s gaze.

“Let’s go there! Anywhere far from that crab!” Kariya let out with a radiant smile.

“I don’t think you’d like to be anywhere near the isopods,” Tenma murmured.

“ _T-The W-W-W-WHAT NOW?!_ ”

* * *

After Kariya’s traumatizing experience, the group arrived to their last stop. The Ocean Planetarium.

The trio reunited with Nishizono and Kageyama, who had gotten separated from them due to Kariya’s slow pace.

“T-Those fishes are scary as well… Why are their eyes glowing…? They look upset…,” Kariya asked, feeling threatened.

“Look closely,” Nishizono told him, “those are their cheeks.”

Kyousuke and Tenma felt Kariya’s grip of their arms loosen as he got closer to the tank’s crystal. “Wow, you’re right! That’s so cool!”

The pair smiled as they watched Kariya's eyes sparkle with excitement on the tank’s reflection.

Kageyama looked around, searching for more interesting fishes. “Look there!”

Nishizono’s eyes directed their attention to where Kageyama was pointing. “Ah! Those fishes look like diamonds!”

Kariya turned his head. “Where, where?! Tsurugi-kun, Tenma-kun, let's check it out.”

The taller boys nodded. Seeing Kariya happy and enjoying himself was cute.

* * *

Visit finished, the boys went back to the Uminchu Gate, near the entrance.

Freed from Kariya, Tenma and Kyousuke stared at the sky. Though there was a cool breeze, the sunset remained warm. The beach being empty solidified the beautiful scene they were watching.

Tenma knew he shouldn’t do it. That he shouldn’t do those kinds of things in public. But, feeling bold, he laid his head on Kyousuke’s shoulder and took his hand. A smile appeared on his face when the taller boy returned his actions.

Kageyama felt himself blush by watching his friends’ intimate moment. Still, the scene made his heart feel warm. “Those two really love each other.”

“But, ever since they started dating, nothing has changed,” Nishizono commented. “It’s like they’ve always been dating.”

“I wouldn’t be surprised if that was the case,” Kariya snickered, taking a picture of the couple and sending it to the team’s group chat.

**You:** _wowgay.jpg_  
**@pink miku** _seems like your spot with shindou-senpai got stolen lol_

**pink miku:** _Kariya, let them have their moment._

Kageyama looked over at Kariya’s phone. “Kirino-senpai is going to be upset when he discovers how you named his contact.”

Kariya smirked and scrolled through his contacts until he got to Kyousuke’s. He showed his phone’s screen to Kageyama. “Wait until Tsurugi-kun discovers his name is **‘Tsundere King’**.”

“I think he’s already going to be upset by what you sent to the group…,” Nishizono said as he slid the notification that showed up on his phone.

* * *

Everyone met at the entrance, teasing Tenma and Kyousuke because of the picture that had been posted to the group chat. Though annoyed with Kariya, both boys set the photo as their lock screen. It was a break of their privacy, but they did like the image.

That was a secret they kept to themselves, though.

Kyousuke didn’t know about Tenma’s new lock screen and Tenma didn’t know about the small change Kyousuke did to his phone.

Yamana approached both boys before hopping into the bus with the other girls. “If you want someone to take photos of you, I would be more than happy to do it!” She smiled, holding her camera.

“ _We did not ask for that photo!_ ” Both exclaimed at the same time.

* * *

After the bus ride, Tenma asked Kyousuke and Nishizono to accompany him to his home.

More than happy to spend more time with their teammate, both kids accepted. The walk consisted of Tenma chatting with Nishizono while Kyousuke listened to whatever they were saying. Not that he disliked doing that though. He enjoyed seeing Tenma interact with anyone, as long as the boy was gleeful.

“Here we are!” Tenma said, opening the door with his key. “I’m home!” He shouted, hoping his parents would hear him.

Tenma’s mother went to the front door. “Welcome back!” Her pupils looked down. “Oh, you are… Shinsuke-kun, correct? Nice to meet you!”

“Nice to meet you!” Nishizono responded to the woman.

The woman’s eyes gazed at Kyousuke for a split second and went back to look at her son. “Seems like you two had a lot of fun. You should come in and tell me everything.”

But, to the woman’s misfortune, Tenma noticed what she was trying to do. “Mom—” He took Kyousuke’s hand— ”Tsurugi is also here.”

“Oh, of course, of course! How could I have not noticed…” The woman excused herself, but it was worthless.

Both Tenma and Kyousuke knew that she didn’t like the taller boy.

Even Nishizono sensed a light passive aggressiveness in the air.

“Well… why don’t you come in?” The mother took a couple of steps back to let the boys enter.

Tenma smiled. “Mom, do you mind if Tsurugi and Shinsuke have dinner with us?”

“Eh? B-But…” The woman stuttered, somehow feeling like she was being held at gunpoint.

“Dad and you don’t have to work and I can help you make dinner.” Tenma gave her an honest, wishful smile this time.

“Well…” She looked at the other boys.

They were waiting for her response with hopeful faces.

She let out a sigh. “Fine…”

“Thank you!” Tenma looked over the shoulder at his companions. “Follow me! I’ll show you my room!”

Tenma’s mother sighed again. As much as she disliked Kyousuke, there’s nothing that could hurt her more than seeing her son disappointed or sad. Maybe Kyousuke wasn’t so bad, after all… but she still didn’t trust him.

Kyousuke pulled out his phone and messaged the others about the unexpected dinner he and Nishizono had been invited to. Phone back in his pocket, in less than a second, he felt it buzzing. He abstained from checking the notification, knowing the others wouldn’t have a problem with the new plan.

“Wait here until dinner is ready. It won’t take long,” Tenma said and then left the room.

Nishizono stared at the closed door. “… I wonder why she dislikes you.”

Kyousuke remained quiet.

* * *

Half an hour later, everyone was having dinner together.

The mother tried to eat, but Kyousuke’s presence kept disturbing her. “… You better not try to do anything to my boy.” She gave Kyousuke a warning glance.

Tenma returned the glance. “ _Mom._ ”

“Tenma…” His mother wanted to say something, but her husband shook his head in disapprovement. She shut her mouth.

Dedicating him a smile, Tenma’s eyes looked at Kyousuke’s. “Is it good, Tsurugi?”

He only nodded. He could’ve said something about Tenma’s parents’ thoughts on him… but he didn’t do it. Starting an argument with your boyfriend’s parents wouldn’t be good.

Nishizono gave him an empathetic look.

* * *

Awkward dinner finished, the striker and the goalkeeper returned to the hotel.

“That was so mean…,” Nishizono murmured. He took off his headband and left it on the nightstand.

Kyousuke brushed his teeth. Once he finished, he approached Nishizono, sitting on his own bed. “Nishizono…,” he started, with slight hesitation. He had never talked a lot with the other boy. “Do you think I’m a bad influence for Tenma?”

“What!? No way!” Nishizono began, “You care about him more than anyone else! Even more than Aoi! And he cares about you more than anyone else! It’s like you two were made for each other!”

Kyousuke could feel himself blushing, but he appreciated Nishizono’s opinion. He also felt sometimes that Tenma had been made for him, almost as if he was his fated savior. Even if Kyousuke tried to break their relationship, that would only result in him feeling sorrow. He loved Tenma too much.

Nishizono noticed Kyousuke’s look, which was lost in thought. “Sorry. Have I said too much?”

Kyousuke blinked and shook his head. “It’s nothing.” He smiled. “Thank you.”

“Don’t worry about it!” Nishizono continued, getting inside his bed. “Everyone in the team knows how good your relationship is.”

Kyousuke also covers himself with his blanket, blushing at Nishizono’s last statement.

“Goodnight, Tsurugi.” Nishizono turned his back and closed his eyes.

“Goodnight, Nishizono.” Kyousuke did the same thing, but before his eyes closed, he heard his phone buzz. Wondering what could it be now, he checked the notification.

**Angel:** _I’m sorry about what happened before_  
_I don’t understand why my mom is being like that_

**You:** _Don’t worry about it_

**Angel:** _I’m sorry…_  
_If I hadn’t said anything about our first day…_

**You:** _It’s not your fault_  
_They asked about it_  
_You answered them_

**Angel:** _Well…if you say so_

**You:** _Go to sleep_  
_I want to see you well tomorrow_

**Angel:** _Alright alright_  
_Goodnight Tsurugi_

**You:** _Goodnight_

Kyousuke gulped, wondering if he should send the next message he had written. Well… it was _their_ private chat. No one was going to see their conversation, so… it should be fine.

**You:** _I love you <3_

**Angel:** 🎧 0:05 ▶️

An audio. A swift arm opened the drawer of the nightstand and began searching for earphones. Once Kyousuke found them, he connected them to his phone, his heart beating way too fast for a five-second-long audio.

He played it.

_“I love you too! Can’t wait to see you tomorrow!”_

Kyousuke replayed it. And replayed it. And replayed it one more time.

It seemed like he wasn’t going to sleep tonight.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> do not be fooled by this fanfic's content  
> kariya is not kyoten's son  
> he is _my_ son
> 
> imma try to get out a halloween one-shot this month, but i wonder if i'll have time to do it :( ´◦ω◦｀):
> 
> i'm already writing the outline for the next longfic and i think it's looking good, though kinda wonky. i'm really bad with descriptions, i'm much better at writing dialogue hhh  
> but i'm doing my best! i think i have gotten a lot better since _I like you_ o(>ω<)o
> 
> next chapter is gonna have some interesting interactions! i hope you look forward to it!


	3. Today we went to the beach!

A dazzling light hit his face.

“Tsurugi, wake up!” Nishizono shouted to him, opening the curtains. “Otherwise, you’ll miss breakfast.”

Kyousuke rubbed his eyes. “What…?” He pushed himself up.

Nishizono noticed the wires laying on Kyousuke’s chest. “You stayed ‘till late listening to music?”

Yawning, Kyousuke took his earphones off and put them back into the drawer. “… Something like that.” Technically, he wasn’t wrong. Tenma’s voice was music to his ears after all.

“It must be a really good group. You should tell me about them later!” Nishizono waved a hand at Kyousuke as he opened the room’s door. “I’m going to the dining hall! Don’t be late!”

Kyousuke waved back at him and dragged himself to the bathroom. He looked at his reflection on the mirror. The purple decorating his lower eyelids wasn’t as bad as he thought. He could hide his dark circles with makeup… if he had brought any. With a bit of luck, Tenma wouldn’t notice them…

Reluctantly brushing his hair, he yawned again. The beds being very fluffy and comfortable didn’t help his situation at all. Why couldn’t he just go to sleep again and dream of his boyfriend?

… Oh, right.

Because he was going to physically see him today, which was better.

A notification showed up on the phone’s screen, alongside a warning of the device needing to be charged. Kyousuke connected the phone to its charger as he read the message Nishizono sent him.

Beach day, huh.

Didn’t sound bad. It was only going to be his team and him having fun at the beach. Knowing them, they’ll have all sorts of competitions. A splashing competition, an eating competition… Tenma would love to have a soccer match, but there’s no way they’re playing barefoot and somewhere so sandy.

And that’s when the thought came across his mind.

Tenma without a shirt.

For an entire day.

Faster than the speed of light, Kyousuke put on his swimming trunks and a random t-shirt.

This was an opportunity he was _not_ missing.

Before going to the dining hall, he lightly slapped his cheeks. Sleep deprivation often made people do stupid things and say nonsense. Kyousuke hoped he wasn’t one of those.

* * *

At the beach, everyone started to set up their stuff.

Shindou and Kirino flirted with each other, as the other second years gave them tired or embarrassed looks. Kirino’s mouth stopped throwing cheesy lines to Shindou when he heard a familiar snicker behind his head.

The girls suggested to have a splashing competition in pairs. Everyone agreed to it.

Kyousuke was going to ask Tenma to team up with him, but the brunet had chosen Nishizono as his partner. Feeling a subtle disappointment fill his stomach, he felt a hand grip his shoulder. “… Nishiki-senpai?”

“Hey, Tsurugi! Wanna team up with me? The ace striker must also have strong arms, right?” Nishiki asked him.

“Wouldn’t Sangoku-senpai be a better option?” Kyousuke asked back.

“He’s with Shindou.” Nishiki looked at the mentioned boy, who was talking with his teammate. “And, from what I’m seeing, Tenma is with Shinsuke. So, whaddya say?”

Glancing at his boyfriend, Kyousuke nodded. “Alright.”

Once everyone had found a pair, they stood in front of the shore.

Yamana, who already had her feet in the water, began speaking. “Good morning everyone! Today, I will act as the referee to The Raimon’s Super Amazing Splashing Competition!” She took a small pause and took a photo of everyone. “The rules are simple; you can’t push or trap anyone. If someone gets hurt, the round will get reseted. As soon as someone from a pair gets splashed, that team loses and the round is ended. Is everyone okay with this?”

Everyone nodded.

“Let’s see then…” She looked around, wondering which teams should start. “Since we have nine groups, we’ll need to have a round with six people participating at the same time… Let’s start with that then! Midori, Aoi, Shin-sama, Sangoku-senpai, Ichino and Aoyama will start first!”

The people who weren’t participating went back to their towels, preferring to watch the battle under the shadow of their umbrellas.

“Shindou, Sangoku-senpai, you have to win! You can do it!” Kirino cheered.

They gave their teammate a thumbs up as they walked into the water.

“Let’s have a fair battle.” Seto grinned, shaking Shindou and Ichino’s hands.

Both boys nodded.

“Well then, if everyone is ready…” Yamana looked at the three teams standing in front of her. She took a few steps back. “The battle starts,—” she took a picture with her water-proof camera— “ _now!_ ”

Seto started by trying to soak Sangoku, but he swiftly dodged the attack. “Be careful, Aoi. This isn’t gonna be easy.”

“Roger!” Sorano responded.

Shindou tried to approach Aoyama and Ichino with quiet steps, but it didn’t work. Fortunately, before the waves they had caused reached him, he backed off just in time.

Ichino leaned into Aoyama’s ear. “I’ll try to distract Aoi. Then, you’ll do the final move.”

“Understood,” Aoyama whispered back.

Ichino stepped into Sorano’s territory, who seemed to be carefully inspecting his moves. He tried to splash her, but she moved back. _Perfect!_

As Sorano took her last step back, she felt a massive wave hit her back. Astonished, she looked back and saw Aoyama’s smug face. Only one thought went through her head, and it was the question of when had Aoyama gotten there.

Seto’s eyes widened as she avoided Sangoku’s splashes. “ _Aoi!_ ”

“I-I’m sorry, Midori-senpai!” Aoi apologized with a sorrowful face.

“I can’t believe you fell for that, Aoi!” Tenma shouted at her.

Seto and Sorano left the water, Seto scolding her partner.

“That was a good play,” Sangoku complimented the other team. “But that’s _never_ going to work against us!”

“Don’t worry, we know,” Aoyama responded.

Aoyama and Ichino moved away from each other, trying to dominate as much space as possible. This gave Sangoku an idea.

“Shindou,” Sangoku started, “let’s slowly approach them, and when they’re together…” With light force, he slapped the water.

“Won’t they notice?” Shindou asked, doubting Sangoku’s idea.

Sangoku gave him a confident look. “If we do it carefully, they won’t.”

“Alright.” Shindou returned the positive gaze.

They approached the opposing pair from their fronts. Seeing Ichino and Aoyama’s bodies gradually getting closer and closer made Shindou and Sangoku smirk. Their plan was working without a flaw.

And as soon as Ichino and Aoyama’s backs touched… their surprised faces were greeted by an immense amount of water.

“It worked, Sangoku-senpai!” Shindou cheered.

“Oh… well, it was fun while it lasted.” Ichino gave an empathetic smile to Aoyama.

“Yeah,” Aoyama agreed.

Yamana took a picture of the losers. “The winners are Shin-sama and Sangoku-senpai!” She looked at the people on the towels. “The next competitors will be Hamano and Hayami against Nishiki-senpai and Tsurugi.”

Nishiki and Kyousuke gave each other a confident look, while Hamano and Hayami fist bumped. When they got into the water, they shook hands with their opponents.

“Everyone seems to be ready.” She snapped a photo. “ _Go!_ ”

Hamano started by attacking his opponents, thinking that they’d be slow in water. To his disappointment, that was not the case.

Hayami got closer to his partner. “Hamano, we should plan something out before–”

Water hit Hayami and Hamano’s backs.

“This was a disappointing round,” Nishiki muttered as he frowned, Kyousuke standing next to him with an equally dissatisfied look. “Hayami, Hamano! You gotta be aware of your surroundings!”

“I’m sorry, Hamano…” Hayami lowered his head, feeling useless.

Hamano laughed. “Don’t worry, we’ll get ‘em next time.”

“Aw, so quick…” Akane lamented, taking a photo of the losers. “Well… the winners are Nishiki-senpai and Tsurugi! Next round will be Kariya and Kirino versus Amagi-senpai and Hikaru!”

“You better not mess things up, Kariya.” Kirino smirked as he high fived the shorter boy.

Kariya grinned. “The same goes to you.”

“That looks kinda scary…,” Kageyama murmured. “Do you think we’ll be okay, Amagi-senpai?”

“Definitely! Let’s show them how strong we are!” Amagi encouraged Kageyama, giving him a nod.

Kageyama smiled and nodded back.

Akane’s camera made a sound, one everyone had already gotten used to. “Go!”

As soon as the round started, Kirino and Kariya went to deeper zones of the water. Kirino ducked down, allowing Kariya to hop onto his shoulders.

“Kariya is on Kirino-senpai’s shoulders… Should we do the same thing, Amagi-senpai?” Kageyama asked his older teammate.

Amagi shook his head. “They have their own plan. We have to craft our own!”

“Roger!” Kageyama responded, thinking about what they should do. “Ah! What if…” He took Amagi’s hand, who gave him a confused look. “Amagi-senpai, let’s hit them with an enormous wave!” He thrusted the water with their hands.

Amagi realized what Kageyama’s plan was and nodded.

They backed off and started running towards the opposite team.

Accompanied with a smirk, Kariya’s eyes squinted when their rivals were near them. “Kirino-senpai, now!”

Kirino nodded and turned his back. He fell backwards, Kariya accompanying him. When their faces resurfaced, the only thing they saw were Kageyama and Amagi’s astonished and wet faces.

Yamana blinked. “Well, uhm… I guess Kirino and Kariya won?” She took a picture of Amagi and Kageyama, doubting her own words.

Kariya hugged Kirino. “We did it, Kirino-senpai!”

Kirino shoved away Kariya, his face showing disgust. “Don’t do that.”

“So mean…,” Kariya huffed.

“I’m sorry, Amagi-senpai. I thought it would work…” Kageyama lamented their defeat.

“It was a good idea,” Amagi cheered his underclassman. “But I guess theirs was better.”

“Tenma, Shinsuke, Kurama, Kurumada-senpai, you’re next!” Yamana announced.

“Let’s have a fair battle,” Kurama said, strongly gripping Tenma’s hand.

Tenma nodded. “Let’s.”

The round started and both teams reunited in their own spaces.

“Let’s think about this carefully.” Kurama looked at the other team. “Tenma is a swift guy, so we can’t be slow. Shinsuke specializes in jumping, so he shouldn’t be able to do much.”

“Should we go at them directly?” Kurumada asked.

Kurama shook his head. “We need to think of something… but what…?”

“Go, Shinsuke!” Tenma shouted, impulsing Nishizono into the air using his arms, as if he was a volleyball.

Nishizono put his limbs together and landed in front of Kurama and Kurumada, splashing them.

“I can’t believe this…,” Kurama murmured with dread.

“That was so impressive…!” Yamana gasped as she took a picture of the losers alongside Nishizono, who gave a big smile to the lens. “The winners are Shinsuke and Tenma!”

Tenma and Shinsuke high-fived while Kurama and Kurumada left the water with repentance and slight annoyance.

“We’re moving onto the semi-finals! Nishiki-senpai and Tsurugi, Sangoku-senpai and Shin-sama, please step into the water!” Yamana announced. “Pose for the camera and—” her camera made a sound— ” _begin!_ ”

Hands shaken, both teams distributed themselves around the area.

“Sangoku-senpai, careful!” Shindou shouted as he saw Kyousuke approaching his upperclassman by his back.

Sangoku managed to turn around in time. He tried to splash Kyousuke, but he moved backwards.

Shindou ran towards Sangoku to assist him.

As Shindou ran, Kyousuke smirked. “Not a good decision, Shindou-senpai!”

That was the last thing Shindou heard before his gaze crossed paths with a great wave.

“Damn, Tsurugi, you stole the show,” Nishiki said amazed. He high fived the younger boy. “Good job! But I wish you’d let me do something.”

“I-I’m sorry,” Kyousuke apologized. He hadn’t realized he had won the round by himself.

Nishiki laughed. “Don’t look at me like that! C’mon, you did a great job!”

“Sangoku-senpai…,” Shindou started, but got interrupted by the taller boy.

“Don’t worry about it, Shindou,” Sangoku comforted him. “We still won against four other people. That’s impressive, right?”

Shindou smiled and nodded.

After taking a photo of the losers, Yamana announced the next round’s players. “Next round will be Kirino and Kariya against Tenma and Shinsuke!” She took a picture of the players wishing each other luck. “You may start… _now!_ ”

Kirino and Kariya went with the same strategy as before.

“Will it work again?” Kariya doubted while riding Kirino’s shoulders.

Kirino nodded. “We just have to catch them off guard.”

The defenders tried to approach the opposing team, but they were very aware of their surroundings.

Kirino frowned. “I’m going to run into them.”

“What?!” Kariya yelped. “No way! That won’t work, and I’ll get hurt!”

“Do you trust me, Kariya?” Kirino asked with a serious tone.

Kariya’s gaze turned equally serious. “… I do.”

“Then trust me on this one.” Kirino gripped tighter Kariya’s legs. “Please.”

“… Fine,” Kariya finally said. “But you owe me an ice cream if this doesn’t work.”

“Sure, sure.” Kirino grinned, looking at the other team. “Let’s go!” He ran towards them and repeated the same strategy as before. When his body resurfaced, his face was received with a splash. Dumbfounded, he blinked when he saw Nishizono’s head resurface.

“We also did the same thing as before,” Nishizono told Kirino, to then go back beside Tenma and celebrate their victory.

Kariya leaned into Kirino’s ear and whispered, “I want a matcha one.”

Kirino sighed, exasperatingly looking at his partner.

Yamana laughed as she looked at the picture she had just taken. That face looked funny on Kirino. “It’s time for the final round!” She looked at the people left in the competition. “Tenma and Shinsuke versus Nishiki-senpai and Tsurugi! Who will win? Place your bets!”

Kyousuke gripped Tenma’s hand and gave him a defiant look. “I’m not gonna go easy on you.”

“Me neither,” Tenma replied, his face replicating Kyousuke’s expression.

“Everyone, please do your best!” Akane encouraged everyone as she took a photograph. “And… _go!_ ”

Kyousuke and Tenma separated themselves from their teammates, starting their own battle. They smirked at each other, but rather than looking challenging, their faces looked playful and encouraging, full of confidence.

Tenma tried to splash Kyousuke, but he dodged the wave with a simple move.

“Is that all you’ve got?” Kyousuke challenged.

Tenma huffed a laugh. “You know it isn’t!”

Kariya pouted from his towel, munching his ice cream. “This is the weirdest way of flirting I’ve ever seen.”

Kirino untied his pigtails, letting his hair loose. “I think it’s cute.”

“I think so too. It’s obvious that they’re having fun,” Shindou said as he felt his boyfriend untie his bun.

“Do you think I’m going to let you get away with this?!” Tenma shouted to Kyousuke.

Kyousuke grinned. “Nishiki-senpai, now!”

Tenma, hearing someone approach him from behind, turned around with a horrified look.

“Don’t worry Tenma, I got you!” Nishizono shouted, splashing Nishiki.

Nishiki and Tenma splashed at the same time as the goalkeeper.

Kyousuke stared at the three wet boys confused, unsure of who had won.

“That… uhm…,” Yamana began, as disconcerted as Kyousuke was. “I-It’s a tie! Everyone wins!” She took a picture of everyone inside the sea.

Some people at the sand clapped, while others booed. Even Endou and Gouenji looked disappointed with the result. No one was very pleased with the ending the competition had.

“Aw, what…? Dammit, we had everything planned and yet…,” Nishiki sighed and gave Kyousuke a thumbs up. “Good job, Tsurugi!”

“Ah? Eh, thank you, Nishiki-senpai,” Kyousuke thanked his teammate. He then exited the water.

“Ah, Tsurugi!” Tenma left the water, leaving Nishizono behind and now following his boyfriend. “Tsurugi, Tsurugi!” He stared at the taller boy putting on his flip flops. “Are you going somewhere now?”

Kyousuke nodded. “I’m going to take a shower at the hotel.”

“Can I accompany you?” Tenma asked, slipping into his jacket and zipping it up.

Kyousuke nodded again, smiling.

Kariya watched the couple walk away, relaxing into the hands that were tying his hair into a ponytail. “Shindou-senpai, do you think they’re codependent?”

Shindou tilted his head. “I wouldn’t be surprised.”

* * *

After having a shower, Kyousuke sat next to Tenma on his own bed.

They blushed, unsure of what to do. This was going to be their only alone time of the day, and they didn’t know when Nishizono was going to come back. So they had to take advantage of their free time as much as possible.

An idea appeared on Tenma’s mind. “Um, Tsurugi. Can you lie down?”

Without questioning the smaller boy, Kyousuke lay down on the bed.

Tenma imitated him, laying on his boyfriend’s chest, hugging him.

A soft smile appeared on Kyousuke’s face and he laid a hand on Tenma’s hair, petting it. He wondered if Tenma’s hair was so fluffy because of the kind of shampoo he used or if it was because of his genes.

Tenma shifted, startling the taller boy. He moved up, his face in front of Kyousuke’s now. His lips united with Kyousuke’s, who accepted the sweet kiss and embraced the other’s neck.

They broke the kiss, looking with dreamy eyes at each other.

Kyousuke let out a soft giggle when Tenma’s lips started decorating his face with kisses. On his cheeks. On his forehead. Near his eyebrows. His face turned redder as Tenma started to kiss his jaw, moving then onto his neck.

* * *

“Hikaru, are you leaving?” Nishizono asked his classmate.

Kageyama nodded. “I wanted to check out a couple of places, but I’m tired, so I’ll go tomorrow. I’m going back to the hotel.”

“I’ll accompany you!” Nishizono said, walking beside Kageyama. “Today was exhausting… but I had lots of fun!”

“Me too! Even though I only played for one round…,” Kageyama lamented again.

“You’ll win the next time, for sure!” Nishizono reassured the taller boy.

“Thank you!” Kageyama said with gratitude. “By the way, did Tsurugi already go back to the hotel? It’s like he disappeared after that last round.”

Nishizono nodded. “With Tenma. I hope they aren’t doing anything weird…”

“What do you mean?” Kageyama asked.

“Well, you know… they’re dating. And they got the hotel room for themselves…” Nishizono tried to ignore the horrifying thought that appeared on his mind.

Kageyama blushed. “N-No way they’re doing that!”

“I hope so,” Nishizono responded.

* * *

“Tenma… don’t… don’t bite too hard,” Kyousuke warned the shorter boy.

Tenma’s lips left Kyousuke’s neck. He gasped when he saw the spot he had just bitten turn red. “T-Tsurugi, I… your neck…”

Kyousuke rubbed his neck, noticing the spot with Tenma’s saliva. “I haven’t brought my makeup so… be careful with the hickeys, alright?”

Tenma nodded and, before he could descend to Kyousuke’s collarbone, a hand took his chin, lifting it. Disconcerted eyes met embarrassed ones, which were accompanied by trembling, slightly open lips.

Holding his breath when he realized Kyousuke’s intentions, Tenma leaned into Kyousuke, letting their lips touch once again, their tongues participating this time. He tried not to laugh, knowing they’re being very sloppy, but he was enjoying his partner’s warmth.

They separated from the kiss, leaving a trail of saliva which made both of them turn crimson.

“Tsurugi…,” Tenma whispered. Before the boy underneath him could say anything, Tenma kissed him again, his tongue making it past Kyousuke’s lips. He took his boyfriend’s cheeks this time, trying to deepen the kiss.

As soon as he moved forward… the room’s door opened.

Tenma rolled over the bed and fell on the floor, his entire face red.

Kyousuke sat up on the bed, covering his mouth and looking with wide eyes at the people standing beside the door.

“S-Shinsuke… Hikaru…” Tenma mumbled, his face peeking from behind the bed.

Kageyama and Nishizono, who were just as red as their teammates, started to stutter an apology.

But they were interrupted by Kyousuke. “It’s… it’s not what you think.”

Tenma shook his head. “E-Exactly! Actually, I was just about to go home, right, Tsurugi?!”

Kyousuke nodded. “R-Right!”

“Well…” Tenma stood up with a determined gaze, but feeling his legs wobble. “See you tomorrow!” He waved his hand at everyone as he flew out of the room.

Kageyama and Nishizono just kinda stood there, still dumbfounded by what they had witnessed.

* * *

“How was your day, Tenma?” His mother asked as she prepared dinner.

Tenma sat on a chair and started, “I had lots of fun! We had a splashing competition! Though we ended up on a draw… but I’m glad I could fight against Tsurugi at the end.” He abstained himself from talking about the hotel part. His parents would kill him if they heard about it.

“… Tenma, Tsurugi is–” The woman felt a hand on her shoulder.

It was her husband.

He turned to his son with a tame gaze. “Tenma, why do you like Tsurugi-kun so much?”

“Well… it’s a long story.” Tenma checked his phone, wondering if he should message Kyousuke about what they had done today. “When I started training my powers, he was the first person to help me. He has never told me why… but he doesn’t need to. I already know.” He opened he and Kyousuke’s chat, reading their past conversations. “Somehow… he is very easy to read.” He slid his finger upwards. “It hasn’t always been like that. But, the more I knew him… the more I understood.”

Tenma’s parents noticed their son’s hazy gaze.

“He’s amazing. I’ve always thought that; that his soccer skills are amazing.” Tenma turned off his phone and turned it on, looking at his lockscreen. “Not only that, but he’s a very good person as well. Without him, I don’t know where I’d be.”

Tenma’s mother placed dinner on the table. She could tell her son was speaking from the heart. Feeling her chest heavy, she sat in front of him. “… Oh.”

“If he comes over again… even if you don’t support our relationship… please be nicer to him,” Tenma said as he put his phone back into his pocket. “He’s not as strong as he looks… Well, I don’t mean that he isn’t strong… but everyone needs a little support.”

Before the mother could speak, Tenma’s father gave his son an empathetic smile. “We were planning to have dinner at a restaurant tomorrow. Do you want to invite Tsurugi-kun?”

“Can I?!” Tenma asked, a glimpse of hope shining on his pupils.

Tenma’s father looked at his wife.

“… Sure,” the woman ended up saying.

“Thank you! I’ll tell him tomorrow!” Tenma said with a colossal smile, starting to eat dinner faster than a bullet.

* * *

“Tsurugi, I don’t want to bring this up but…” Nishizono looked at Kyousuke’s neck. “How are you going to hide _that_?”

Kyousuke turned red and covered his neck. “I’ll wear a choker or something…,” he responded, aware that his choker wouldn’t completely cover up the spot. “I’m sorry about… well, what you saw.”

“Y-You don’t have to apologize for that! It’s natural to want to do that with your boyfriend… I guess,” Nishizono added at the end. “Isn’t that something lovers often want to do together?”

“You don’t have to say it like that…” Kyousuke blushed harder as he covered himself with his sheets. “But I guess so.”

“Mhm.” Nishizono murmured, turning off the room’s lights and hopping into his own bed, covering himself with the soft fabric. “Goodnight, Tsurugi.”

“Goodnight,” Kyousuke responded, checking his phone. A message from Kirino.

**Kirino-senpai:** _Are you and Tenma free tomorrow?_

**You:** _I think so_

**You:** _Why?_

**Kirino-senpai:** _Shindou and I were wondering if you’d like to have breakfast with us_

**Kirino-senpai:** _Like a double date sort of thing_

**Kirino-senpai:** _We found a nice café_

**Kirino-senpai:** _Though it’s half an hour away, but it looks really good_

**You:** _Oh, I’ll text Tenma about it_

**You:** _Thank you, Kirino-senpai_

**Kirino-senpai:** _It’s nothing!_

**Kirino-senpai:** _We’ll meet up at 7:00 at the entrance_

Kyousuke messaged Tenma about the double date and he accepted the plan. Rubbing his eyes, Kyousuke turned off his phone and put it on his nightstand. He should go to sleep already, before he overslept again. That was Tenma’s thing, not his.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I almost didn't get this one out on time ( ; ´ д｀)
> 
> gladly, i could finish editing it before meeting my deadline “ヽ(´▽｀)ノ”  
> school has me pretty occupied
> 
> next chapter is the final and longest one! it's gonna be lots of fun!  
> (ノ^o^)ノ


	4. Today we had a double date with our senpai!

“Good morning everyone!” Tenma greeted his upperclassmen, who were at the hotel’s entrance. “Hm? Tsurugi isn’t here yet?”

Before Shindou said anything, someone with dark blue hair exited the hotel.

He approached Tenma with a slow pace, wanting to surprise him. But Tenma recognized his footsteps and turned back. The tall boy was the one who got startled instead.

“Good morning, Tsurugi!” Tenma tackled his boyfriend into a hug. “Did you sleep well?” He separated from the embrace.

Kyousuke nodded, feeling his cheeks turn red. Tenma’s lively reactions always made his heart skip a beat.

Kirino and Shindou greeted Kyousuke as well, Kirino noticing the black band decorating Kyousuke’s neck. “You’re wearing a choker in summer? You’re going to…” Kirino’s eyes focused on the purple spot looming underneath the choker. “ _… No way._ ”

Kyousuke rubbed his neck, feeling more embarrassed now. That was all he could do to try to hide the hickey.

Shindou noticed the spot as well and stifled a laugh. “You two sure had a steamy evening.”

Tenma directed his eyes to where his upperclassmen were looking and gasped in realization. “I-It’s not what you think!”

“Don’t worry, Tenma.” Kirino gave him a comfy smile. “It has happened to us a few times.” He noticed the hopeful gaze Kyousuke was giving him. “I’m sorry, Tsurugi—” he shook his head— ”I also didn’t bring my makeup. Well, a bit of mascara, but that’s just the daily need.”

Sighing, Kyousuke tilted his head. “Do you think it’s very noticeable?”

Both Kirino and Shindou nodded, while Tenma shook his head energetically. It wasn’t that he didn’t think the hickey was noticeable— _he did_. But he wanted to comfort his boyfriend. He felt bad for him. It had happened in the heat of the moment. At that moment, Tenma hadn’t even thought about what they would do tomorrow.

“Sorry, Tsurugi…,” Tenma apologized.

“Tenma…” Kyousuke smiled and petted his boyfriend’s head. “I don’t dislike it. It was an accident.”

Shindou gasped, realizing now what had happened. “So Tenma…!”

Tenma turned his head, giving Shindou a confused look, one Kyousuke shared. “What is it?”

Kirino slapped a hand on Shindou’s mouth. “Nothing, nothing!” He gave his boyfriend a look. “ _Shindou._ ”

“I-I’m sorry,” Shindou laughed, aware of his awkwardness. “Well, should we get going?” He changed the topic of the conversation.

“Mhm, let’s go!” Tenma nodded and took Kyousuke’s hand. 

* * *

After taking their orders to their table, the group sat around it.

“Are you enjoying Okinawa so far?” Tenma asked his friends.

Shindou nodded. “I enjoyed the aquarium a lot.”

“Thank you for dealing with Kariya that time,” Kirino thanked the younger boys. “Talking about Kariya, the strategy we made yesterday was so good.”

“It was really cool!” Tenma complimented him. “You also looked cool, Tsurugi!”

“You too,” Kyousuke mumbled, munching his anpan as he blushed.

“By the way,” Tenma started, “my parents invited you to have dinner with us. Wanna come?”

As Kyousuke nodded with a small smile, Kirino snapped his fingers. “Oh, I almost forgot! You finally got into the ‘meet my parents’ phase!”

“W-Well… yeah, I guess.” Tenma scratched the back of his head. “But it’s being hard… they don’t like our relationship.”

“No way…” Shindou felt sorry for them. “You two are so sweet, though.”

“Yeah, you’re very cute.” Kirino smirked when the boys in front of him turned red. His face turned serious a second later. Tenma’s parents disliking Kyousuke could turn into a bigger issue than what they could think of. “Are there any reasons they don’t support you?”

“I think they don’t like Tsurugi,” Tenma grimaced.

Shindou raised a brow. “Didn’t they invite him for dinner?”

“Yes. I talked a bit about him yesterday. I wonder if they invited him because of that.” Tenma took a bite of his croissant.

Kyousuke glanced at his boyfriend and wasn’t able to hide a smile. Tenma’s statement gave him a glimpse of hope. “Things will work out somehow,” he murmured. He looked at his upperclassmen, who were looking at him like a mother would look at her child. Realizing the reason of why they were staring at him like that, he averted his gaze from them, focusing on trying to cool down his cheeks.

Tenma, though blushing, smiled and caressed the back of Kyousuke’s head. “You don’t have to be embarrassed about that.” Kyousuke loving Tenma so much to the point where his famous catchphrase got stuck to him made Tenma’s heart flutter.

Kyousuke frowned and munched his anpan.

“That’s true,” Shindou supported Tenma’s statement. “That just shows how much you love Tenma.”

Kyousuke pouted. “I already know that…”

Kirino smirked, stealing a piece of Shindou’s French toast. “You’re such a tsundere,” he teased.

Kyousuke’s eyes widened. “I’m _not_!” He took Tenma’s chin and turned his head. “Would a tsundere do this?!” A deep gaze was given to the shorter boy. “Kiss me.”

Tenma blushed, but he felt it being because of second-hand embarrassment rather than his own. “T-Tsurugi…” He gave Kyousuke a confident look. “Alright.” Tenma leaned in and kissed his boyfriend.

In less than a second, Kyousuke separated from the kiss, startling Tenma. He looked at Kirino with a defiant gaze. Though his red face did not compliment his supposedly-aggressive look at all. “See?”

Kirino perplexedly looked at Kyousuke while Shindou slapped his own forehead. “You’re so dumb,” the pianist mumbled. Ignoring his underclassman’s comments, Shindou redirected his attention towards Tenma. “Tenma, do you know any malls nearby?”

Tenma nodded. “I think there’s one half an hour away from here. I remember accompanying a lot my mother to it when I was little.”

“Please don’t buy the entire mall,” Kirino begged to his boyfriend.

“You’re exaggerating,” Shindou huffed.

“Kirino-senpai, we should do a round of shopping as well,” Kyousuke said, pointing at his own neck.

Kirino nodded. “That reminds me that I have to buy a new blush.”

Tenma looked at Shindou. “Do you want to go shopping for gifts?”

“Sure,” Shindou responded. 

* * *

Breakfast finished, the group went to the mall Tenma talked about.

Kyousuke and Kirino went to a cosmetics store as soon as they stepped into the place, wanting to find as fast as possible makeup that could hide the purple spot on Kyousuke’s neck. After making their purchases and making sure no one else was in it, Kirino and Kyousuke entered the bathroom.

“Want me to apply it?” Kirino asked, waving his brush.

“Sure,” Kyousuke responded, taking off his choker. “You already have experience with this, right?”

“Right.” Kirino smiled, starting to hide the spot on Kyousuke’s neck. “Want to try out the blush I bought?”

“Not today, thank you,” Kyousuke responded, keeping his eyes closed. He enjoyed the brush’s softness. “I don’t know how Tenma’s parents will feel about a boy wearing makeup.”

“Probably not good,” Kirino commented, switching correctors. “It sucks that you have to go through that. But I’m sure Tenma will change their mind.”

Kyousuke nodded. “It’s hard to go against him.”

Kirino giggled softly, starting to apply concealer on the hickey. “Talking from experience?”

“Yeah,” Kyousuke answered. “At first, it was very confusing. His ‘soccer, soccer’. I knew he was right but…” The memories from back then were fuzzy yet clear to him. Though he hated himself for his actions, Kyousuke felt nostalgic and calm remembering everything, even though it hadn’t happened that long ago.

“You’re stubborn,” Kirino completed the sentence.

Kyousuke huffed. “I guess…”

Kirino applied foundation on Kyousuke’s neck. “You’re done.”

Kyousuke looked at himself in the mirror, turning his head around. Not a single mark of purple. “That’s… amazing. You have to teach me how to do this.” He gave a smile to Kirino. “Thank you, Kirino-senpai.”

“It’s nothing.” Kirino smiled back. “Let me apply my new blush and then let’s go meet up with Shindou and Tenma. I want to buy gifts for my parents and Kariya.”

Kyousuke leaned on the wall, watching Kirino apply his makeup. “You actually care about Kariya, don’t you?”

“Of course I do,” Kirino laughed. “We just have a little, friendly rivalry between us. Isn’t it like having a little brother?”

“I hope not,” Kyousuke responded, messaging the others about meeting up to shop for gifts.

Kirino gave a sympathetic look to Kyousuke. “Dude, there’s no way you give your brother as much trouble as Kariya gives to others. Kariya is a chaotic mess while you’re like… very calm.”

“A calm mess,” Kyousuke laughed as he turned off his phone. While he looked composed on the outside, he was a disaster on the inside.

“A blushing mess—” Kirino snickered, pointing his brush at Kyousuke— “when you’re with Tenma.”

“Stop with that,” Kyousuke retorted, huffing. 

* * *

“S-Shindou-senpai!” Tenma pulled Shindou’s sleeve. “Don’t tell me you’re going to buy that…!”

“Why not? It’s a bargain!” Shindou held the soap close to his heart. “This brand… for only ¥4000… how can I not buy it?!”

“It’s just a single bar though…” Tenma looked at the soap bar with uneasy eyes. He couldn’t let Shindou buy it. “It’s so expensive…”

“C’mon Tenma, it’s just ¥4000! These usually are ¥8000!” Shindou chirped, looking now at some towels. “Oh, ¥12000! And they’re so soft!”

“T-That’s insane…!” Tenma brushed his fingers against the towel’s fabric. They were very soft… but there was no way they costed ¥12000. It was insane to even think someone would buy something like that for that price. “Isn’t Kirino-senpai going to get upset if you buy those?”

“But they’re for my parents! They’re gifts!” Shindou bickered, taking three towels. “Aren’t you going to take anything for your caretaker?” He walked to the counter and began paying for his items.

Tenma nodded. “Yeah.” He looked at the prices the other stuff from the shop had, some of them nearly making his eyes pop out of his head. “But not from here…”

“If you need help with money, I can lend you a hand,” Shindou promised with a charismatic smile, taking the bag the cashier gave him.

“P-Please don’t!” Tenma prayed. He exited the shop and looked for somewhere… somewhere where his wallet would still have chances to live. “Doesn’t this place have a ¥100 store…?”

“Nothing that cheap can be of good quality.” Shindou crossed his arms, unable to understand that not everyone had a bank for a family.

“Let’s go to the supermarket. I think there’s one on the first floor.” Tenma took the escalator, Shindou following him. “I just want to buy a couple of things for Aki-nee. Oh, I should get something for Yuuichi-san too.”

“Yuuichi-san…?” Shindou asked. The name sounded familiar, but he couldn’t tell why.

“Tsurugi’s brother,” Tenma responded.

Now Shindou remembered. He had never talked to him, but he remembered Tenma talking about the guy a couple of times. “Won’t Tsurugi get him something?”

“Probably—” Tenma stepped out of the escalator—, “but we’re close.”

Shindou dedicated Tenma a smug look, stepping out of the escalator as well. “Future brother-in-law?”

Tenma’s cheeks turned rosy, but he smiled. “I hope so.”

“Did he see it coming?” Shindou asked.

Tenma turned his head to indicate the supermarket’s direction to Shindou. He began walking towards it. “Yeah, pretty much. He’s constantly teasing Tsurugi about our relationship. I feel kinda bad, but, at the same time, it’s kinda funny. It’s cute to see Tsurugi embarrassed.”

“I’ve always wondered—” Shindou caught up to Tenma’s swift pace— “how did you two get together? Who confessed first?”

“That’s private,” Tenma laughed, his cheeks turning red. “I’ll tell you if you tell me who confessed first.”

“Kirino,” Shindou simply responded. “After school. In our first week as second years.”

Tenma’s eyes widened. He hadn’t expected Shindou’s answer to be so quick. “… Tsurugi did. After our final match at Holy Road.”

“No way!” Shindou exclaimed, feeling his face turn red from excitement. “How, how?!”

“Well, I think it started when we were seeing each other after training—” Tenma slapped both of his hands on his mouth. He remembered what Kyousuke told him that day. “I can’t tell you.”

“Why?” Shindou asked, feeling like he was being left at a cliffhanger.

“Tsurugi told me to keep it a secret from the others…,” Tenma murmured.

“Wait a second!” Shindou stopped walking, getting Tenma’s attention. “Let me get this straight! Tsurugi and you started seeing each other...”

“Yes?”

“… after training…”

“Yes…?”

“… without anyone else knowing it.”

“Y-Yes…?”

Shindou looked at Tenma, frowning. “… You know how that sounds, right?”

Tenma averted his gaze from Shindou’s, turning red. “I-I’ll admit that it was kinda romantic… being with him alone at night…”

“At night?!” Shindou’s eyes looked like plates. “Tenma, that’s…!” He imagined the scene and felt himself blush. How could a relationship still be considered platonic after that?!

The more Tenma thought about it, the more he realized how wrong it sounded. “Shindou… Shindou-senpai, let’s… let’s just go to the supermarket.” He pulled a flabbergasted Shindou’s sleeve, who still was thinking about Kyousuke’s actions.

Entering the supermarket, Tenma’s phone buzzed. He checked the notification and messaged his location when he read his boyfriend’s request. Standing beside the entrance, he released Shindou's sleeve. “We’re going to meet up with Tsurugi and Kirino-senpai here.”

Shindou snapped out of his daydreaming. “Uh? Ah, okay." 

* * *

“Y-You spent ¥40000?!” Kirino shouted, reading his boyfriend’s receipt.

“Taxes included!” Shindou added, hoping that would calm down Kirino.

“That doesn’t matter!” Kirino replied, crumbling the paper.

With shut mouths, Kyousuke and Tenma contemplated the fight happening between their upperclassmen, who were bickering like an old married couple.

“… It must be hard having a rich boyfriend,” Tenma whispered.

“Yeah,” Kyousuke whispered back.

Tenma turned his gaze to Kyousuke. “Wanna get something for Yuuichi-san?”

Kyousuke smiled and nodded. Tenma thinking about his brother was very kind. “I think he’ll like trying out some sweet that it’s only eaten here.”

“Follow me.” Tenma took Kyousuke’s hand. “I’m thinking sata andagi could be good. They’re like deep-fried doughnuts and they come in a bunch of flavors. Beni imo tarts are good as well! They’re biscuits with beni imo cream on top of them. I like them a lot.”

“Beni imo?” Kyousuke asked, curious as well of Okinawa’s food.

“That’s how Okinawan sweet potatoes are called,” Tenma responded, stopping at the sweets aisle when he found it. “They should be here.”

Kyousuke leaned down, a soft pastel color getting his attention. He read the product’s name. “Chinsuko?”

“They’re cookies. I don’t think they have anything special. Though the flavored ones are always good,” Tenma responded, looking through the chinsuko packages. He took a couple of them, making sure they were of different flavors. “I think Aki-nee will like them.”

Kyousuke took a package as well.

Tenma smiled, surprised about the flavor the striker chose. “Pineapple?”

“We’ve never tried it,” Kyousuke said, having never even seen one. Pineapples weren’t something common in Japan.

“Oh, really?” Tenma remembered eating it a lot as a kid, when it was summer. “It’s kinda tangy, but very sweet. Though, being cookies, I don’t think they’ll have the tanginess.”

“I think he’ll like it,” Kyousuke smiled. He hadn’t shared sweets with his brother in a very long time.

Tenma inspected the other shelves. “Ah, the beni imo tarts!” He tried reaching for one box, but he wasn’t tall enough. He tried tip toeing— “Just a little bit more—…!” but that didn’t seem to work.

Kyousuke tried to not laugh nor smile as he observed his boyfriend trying to convince himself he wasn’t short. Deciding to help him, Kyousuke effortlessly picked one of the boxes and gave it to his partner.

Tenma laughed, his cheeks flushing. “Thank you,” he said, watching Kyousuke take another box for himself. “You’re so tall… do you think I’ll ever reach your height?”

“Maybe. But I hope you don’t.” Kyousuke petted Tenma’s head. “It’s easier to pet you like this.”

Tenma’s face turned redder. “But, if I was taller, it’d be easier to kiss you…”

Kyousuke averted his gaze from Tenma’s, his cheeks becoming huge tomatoes. “I can lean down.”

Tenma looked around, checking they were alone. He approached Kyousuke and pulled twice his sleeve.

Kyousuke gave him a hesitant gaze, his face still too hot for his own comfort. He noticed Tenma’s hand gesturing to him to lean down. Gulping, he leaned down, grasping the idea Tenma was offering him.

Taking his partner’s cheek with a delicate touch, Tenma united his lips with Kyousuke’s. But he separated from the kiss in less than a second. He licked his lips. “… Both of our lips are dry, haha.”

After licking his lips, Kyousuke leaned down again. Somehow, even though they were in the middle of a supermarket, he felt comfortable with the situation. He felt Tenma take his face again… and, as both of them enjoyed the kiss…

They heard Kirino and Shindou’s voices approaching their area. Separating in a flash, they checked out again the products in the aisle.

“And Kariya then—” Kirino turned his head, looking at the red-faced boys looking at the Okinawan sweets—, “Oh, Tenma, Tsurugi!”

“Yeah, I think Yuuichi-san will love them!” Tenma looked at Kirino. “Hello, Kirino-senpai, Shindou-senpai!”

“We were searching for you,” Shindou commented. He raised a brow, taking into account the color of the striker and the midfielder’s faces. “… Did something happen?”

Tenma shook his head. “Nothing! Nothing at all!”

Shindou directed his eyes towards the silent Kyousuke. “Tsurugi?”

“ _It’snothing,_ ” Kyousuke mumbled, trying to hide his face without the others noticing. His grip on the packages tightened.

Kirino smirked, noticing Shindou’s intentions. “No one around. Perfect for making out.”

Tenma and Kyousuke’s faces, if they could, turned redder. “ _We didn’t…!_ ”

“You’re not going to jail if you did,” Shindou said, starting to feel bad for his underclassmen.

“Are you here to check out the sweets? We were about to go to pay, right Tenma?” Kyousuke looked at Tenma with what Kyousuke had wanted to be a blank stare, but looked more like he was begging for his life to be spared.

Tenma nodded, just as nervous as the taller kid. “Yeah, let’s go! We’ll wait for you outside!”

Kirino and Shindou stared at the younger boys, who dashed out of the aisle.

“… Do you think they actually were making out?” Kirino asked his mate.

“Definitely,” Shindou responded.  
Tenma panted, scanning his products’ barcodes. “They… they almost… caught us…” His ringtone sounded out of the blue. He picked it up. “Mom?”

Kyousuke made his own purchases while Tenma talked.

“The mall. I think San-A. Yeah, we still are with them. Oh, I’ll ask them when they come back. We got separated.” Tenma noticed two recognizable silhouettes at the distance. “I think they’re getting close. I’ll call you back when I talk with them. Love you.” He hung up.

The older boys saludated the younger ones, who returned the act.

“Shindou-senpai, Kirino-senpai, my mom asked if you want her to ride you home,” Tenma informed the others.

“Let’s take a stroll, Kirino—”

“W-We’ll take the offer!” Kirino cut his boyfriend, paying for his products.

Shindou pouted while paying for his own on a different self-checkout machine. “Kirino…”

Kirino opened his GPS app, checking how far they were from the hotel. “It’s 45 minutes away from here…” He gazed at Shindou, who was giving him puppy eyes. “Well… I guess a stroll could be nice…”

“Yeah, yeah!” Shindou took Kirino’s hand. “And we wouldn’t want to interrupt Tsurugi and Tenma’s date, right?”

“I-It’s not a date! We’re going to have dinner with my parents!” Tenma said with a red face.

Kyousuke rapidly nodded in agreement.

The older boys laughed.

“We should get going, Shindou,” Kirino told his partner.

“Right,” Shindou replied.

“We’ll accompany you outside. Wait a second.” After sending a message to his mother about the upperclassmen’s decision, Tenma took Kyousuke’s hand. “Let’s go?”

Kyousuke smiled and nodded. 

* * *

“Tenma!” Tenma’s mother waved at her son, approaching him. “These are your other friends, right? If I remember correctly, Shindou-kun and Kirino-kun?”

“Yep!” Both aforementioned boys replied.

“A girl playing soccer, hm… I’m glad. You didn’t see that very often when I was young.” The woman dedicated a smile to Kirino.

“I… I’m a boy…” Kirino mumbled with a lowered head.

“Ah! I-I’m so sorry! I… your… your hair is pretty long so… I’m sorry!” The woman apologized profusely.

“Don’t worry, miss. Happens often,” Kirino lamented.

The younger boys (and Tenma’s mother) said goodbye to the older ones and they parted ways. The mother led her son and his boyfriend to the car, where her husband was waiting for them. Then, they took a small ride to the restaurant. 

* * *

The conversation was started by Tenma’s father, after everyone had made their orders.

“How was your day?” he asked.

“It was fun! But I hope I don’t have to go shopping with Shindou-senpai ever again…” Tenma loved spending time with Shindou… but playing soccer, where money didn’t have a place. Thinking about Shindou casually walking with a bank in his pocket stressed Tenma.

“What about you, Tsurugi-kun?” The man asked the other kid.

Kyousuke blinked and felt his chest warm up. “It was nice. I bought some stuff for my brother.”

“You have a brother? Does he play soccer as well?” The father asked this time, interested in knowing more about his son’s boyfriend. He knew that would make both of them happier.

“Well… He used to.” Kyousuke sighed. Clenching his pocket, he frowned and looked at Tenma’s father. “I broke his legs.”

“That was not your fault,” Tenma interrupted, grasping his partner’s hand.

“How?” The mother asked, her worries rising again.

“I… We were playing soccer and…”

“It was an accident,” Tenma cut Kyousuke off. “That’s it.” That wasn’t a good memory for Kyousuke, so it made no sense to bring it up.

“Um… You used to be part of Fifth Sector, right? Why?” Tenma’s mother decided that she should ask her doubts instead of retaining them.

“My parents couldn’t pay for my brother’s operation so… I made a contract with them. If I worked for them, they would give me the money for the operation.” Kyousuke was glad that things worked out at the end, but… before that call from the hospital, he had always felt a bittersweet feeling in his chest.

“That’s horrible! Working when you’re so young…” The woman crossed her arms, cursing Fifth Sector’s past existence. “… How’s your brother nowadays?”

Kyousuke smiled. “He received an anonymous donation a couple of months ago. His operation should be soon.”

Tenma’s mother sighed in relief. “A happy ending.”

After his wife stopped speaking, Tenma’s father started, “… I’ve been wondering, how did you two become so close? Tenma is very sociable, but you seem more like the loner type.”

“That’s…” That wasn’t a lie. He had never had friends before he joined the soccer team and he wasn’t good with people. Kyousuke looked at Tenma, who was staring at him, wondering if he would answer the question.

Had he been with another person, Kyousuke would’ve kept himself quiet. But he couldn’t do that anymore. To get closer to others, he needed to open up and let his heart speak up. Tenma had taught him that. So he wasn’t going to run away anymore.

Knowing Tenma wouldn’t laugh at anything he said, Kyousuke began, “Even when I was an enemy, Tenma has always been nice to me. I had never been treated like that. It ended up causing confusing feelings in me.”

He paused when the waitress laid their bentos on the table. After trying out his food, he continued. “I didn’t know what to do. I wanted to support Tenma and the others, but couldn’t because of my brother’s situation. It felt like, no matter what I did, I was never going to be happy. I’d be happy with my brother’s recovery but… I’d feel remorse.”

“But, no matter what happened…” Another bite. “Tenma always seemed to be there for me.”

A vague smile appeared on Tenma’s face. “I’m always going to be here for you.” He gripped tighter Kyousuke’s hand. “No matter what happens.”

Kyousuke returned the smile. He felt his shoulders lighter now. “The more time I passed with Tenma, the more I liked him… and, at some moment, I…” Kyousuke kept himself quiet for a moment. “I… developed a crush on him— No, not just that. I… fell in love with him.”

Tenma blushed, but kept smiling. Kyousuke talking about his experience with their relationship was something he was going to treasure forever, even if it wasn’t the full story.

“I… didn’t really care about dating him. And I still don’t,” Kyousuke clarified.

Tenma’s heart stopped.

Kyousuke frowned and stated, “What matters to me is being able to spend time with him. As a friend, boyfriend, rival… it doesn’t matter to me. As long as I can be with him, nothing else matters.”

And Tenma’s heart kept beating.

Impressed by Kyousuke’s brutal honesty, Tenma’s mother smiled. “I see.” She took a piece of food from her bento, eating it slowly. _Gulp_. “I was wrong about you. I’m sorry, Tsurugi-kun.”

“Don’t worry,” Kyousuke reassured her.

…But how couldn’t she worry? She had been a bastard to an angel this entire time. Staying silent seemed to be the best option at the moment. Letting the others enjoy their food, she ate hers.

“Dad, mom,” Tenma started, “I’m going to accompany Tsurugi to the hotel.”

“Tenma?” Kyousuke looked at his boyfriend.

“We can leave you there,” Tenma’s father said.

“Tsurugi?” Tenma gazed at his partner.

“Uh, sure,” Kyousuke answered. 

* * *

Tenma got out of the car alongside his boyfriend. “I’ll walk back home. There’s something I want to say to Tsurugi.”

“Okay,” his father responded. “Be careful on your way back home, it’s late.” That said, he drove off.

“… Tenma?” Kyousuke’s eyes lingered on Tenma’s body.

Tenma approached Kyousuke. “I also don’t care about dating you,—” he took Kyousuke’s hands— “as long as I can be with you. No matter if you’re my friend, boyfriend or rival.” Tenma’s gaze shifted from his partner’s hands to his eyes. “If we hadn’t met… I wonder what would’ve happened.”

“I don’t want to think about that.” Kyousuke looked at his linked hands. “There’s no reason to think about that.” His chest was burning. But, instead of feeling like a volcano, it felt like a candle’s warm and small flame. “A life where we hadn’t met… I don’t think something like that could ever exist.”

Though feeling his legs trembling, Tenma smiled. “Why?”

“It can’t be a coincidence that we met.” Kyousuke held tight Tenma’s hands. “We must have been fated, or…” He averted his gaze from Tenma’s. “Or something like that.” Knowing how Tenma’s emotions affected him, Kyousuke couldn’t bring himself to look at Tenma. “… Or maybe I just want to believe we’ll be together forever.”

“Tsurugi.” Tenma lowered his gaze, blinking because of his blurry vision. “Tsurugi, look at me. Please.” Sensing Kyousuke’s pupils on him, Tenma lifted his head. He showed him a smile unfitting to the scenery around them. A smile too bright for the dim night.

“We’ll _definitely_ always be together!”

Kyousuke was the one now who was feeling his eyes watery. He nodded, the knot in his throat unabling him from responding.

Tenma hugged Kyousuke.

Kyousuke hugged Tenma back.

A single whisper left their mouths.

“I love you.”

The embrace was long. Though they had been together the entire summer, the thought of being separated made their hearts shake.

Both of them stared at each other and shared a kiss.

Tenma’s lips left Kyousuke’s. “I should go. I don’t want to worry my parents.” He looked at Kyousuke one last time. “Did you enjoy the trip?”

Kyousuke nodded. “A lot. It’s sad we have to leave tomorrow.”

“Yeah,” Tenma agreed.

Showing a playful smile, Kyousuke said, “I hope we can travel somewhere else together. Just the two of us.”

Tenma felt the butterflies in his stomach flatter around, turning his cheeks rosy. “That would be nice…” He turned on his phone, wanting to search places Kyousuke and him could go to… until he saw the hour on his screen.

Kyousuke blushed when he saw Tenma’s lockscreen. “That’s—”

“Uwah! It’s this hour already?! Sorry Tsurugi, but I need to go or my parents are going to kill me!” He turned around and started running, hoping his mother wasn’t waiting for him with a knife. “S-See ya tomorrow!”

Dazed by Tenma’s abrupt action, Kyousuke managed to smile and text him a ‘see you tomorrow’ message. 

* * *

Going back to his bedroom, Kyousuke was unsurprised to see Nishizono scrolling down his phone’s screen instead of sleeping. “Goodnight. Can’t sleep?” He left his bags beside his suitcase.

Nishizono nodded. “How was the date?”

“Good,” Kyousuke responded, taking off his t-shirt and replacing it with the one that belonged to his pyjamas. He repeated the same motion with his shorts.

“Did you go somewhere else after the date?” Nishizono asked as he watched Kyousuke sit on the floor to put his things in the suitcase. “Kirino-senpai and Shindou-senpai came back with presents.”

“We went to a mall.” Kyousuke lay on his bed, relaxing after having an active and long day. He would take a shower in the morning, not feeling like taking one now. “I bought stuff for my brother. Then, had dinner with Tenma and his parents.”

Nishizono gave Kyousuke a worried look. “How did it go?”

Kyousuke punily smirked. “Very good. I don’t think Tenma and I will have problems with them again.”

“I’m glad!” Nishizono sighed in relief. His eyes shifted towards Kyousuke’s neck, which seemed to be slightly different now. “… Ah, your hickey—!”

Kyousuke’s eyes widened. He blushed and slammed a fist on the mattress, giving Nishizono an aggressive look. “T-That’s none of your business!” 

* * *

“Do you think Tenma is upset with us?” The woman sat on the couch, turning on the TV. Since she had left her son at the hotel, she had been thinking about Tenma’s relationship with Kyousuke.

“He must have been at some point,” her husband responded, sitting beside her. “Are you worried?”

The woman nodded. “I’ve judged his boyfriend pretty harshly… all because of my damn, old mind.”

“It’s nothing we’re accustomed to. We just have to accept it.” The man kissed the cheek of his wife. “I also thought that two boys dating would be bad… but then I wondered why it would be bad. It’s not like they’re doing anything different from us.”

“You’re right. Both of them being boys doesn’t really change things, huh.” The woman sighed. “The girls from my school got expelled for having sexual relationships… but any good school wouldn’t allow their students to do that.” She slapped her head. “It wasn’t because they were girls…”

“Even though we’re old, we can still make mistakes and learn from them.” The husband winked.

The wife pouted. “We’re not old. Yes, we’re in our forties but…”

The man laughed. “We’re getting old.” He looked at the clock. “…Tenma is taking his time. He really loves that boy.”

“Isn’t it weird?” The woman laid her body on her husband’s arm. “When he was little, he always seemed to be in a hurry. He’d say ‘I want to do this!’ and then immediately do that thing… but, with Tsurugi-kun, he seems to be taking his sweet time.”

“He seems to be a complicated boy.” The husband felt his wife’s confused eyes on him. “Don’t get me wrong, he’s very nice. But I think he has had a troubled life. I’m glad Tenma is helping him with his problems.”

“I wonder in what sort of way Tsurugi-kun helps Tenma besides soccer.” The woman changed the channel, not feeling like watching the news now. “Maybe soccer is just enough for Tenma. Or maybe Tenma enjoys seeing his growth as a person.”

“Tenma has always been very carefree, hasn’t he?” The husband laughed. “But I’m sure Tsurugi-kun will be there for Tenma if he ever has a serious problem. It’s good that Tenma’s mind isn’t only filled with soccer now.”

“Mhm,” the wife kissed her husband. “You work tomorrow, right? I’ll go to prepare the bath.” As soon as she stood up, she heard someone open the front door.

“I’m home!” Tenma announced as he entered the apartment.

“Welcome back!” After greeting him, Tenma’s mother went to the bathroom, starting to prepare her husband’s bath. “Why did you want us to leave you at the hotel?” She shouted.

Tenma blushed. “I can’t tell you that!” He shouted back. Once in his bedroom, he dropped his body on the bed and turned on his phone. A smile appeared on his face when he saw the ‘see you tomorrow’ message from his boyfriend.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> okay, so......... i thought kyoten day was in august (；⌣̀_⌣́)
> 
> i wasn't sure if it was the 10th of august or the 8th of october because i didn't know what format of day/month/year they used... i've realized now i should've just looked it up...
> 
> oh well, will make sure this doesn't happen again
> 
> i literally began editing this at 22:00 pm and i managed to submit it in time before it was a new day, just by a couple of minutes (ﾉ_ヽ) i usually update on friday, but this was a special occasion
> 
> the epilogue is very short so i'm thinking of expanding it a bit. i think it'll take at least a couple weeks to get it done, so the next update might end up being next month or something like that lol
> 
> stay lovely! ＼(＾▽＾)／


	5. The departure

“Are you ready?!” Having brushed his teeth, Tenma hurried his mother. He dashed to his bedroom and took his suitcase, dragging it by its telescopic handle. Suitcase left at the entrance, Tenma shouted to his mother again. “We’re gonna be late!”

“Coming, coming!” Tenma’s mother shouted back as she brushed her hair. Looking for her favorite lipstick in the drawer, her eyes took a quick look at her wristwatch. “Tenma, we still have an hour left!”

“We have to make sure we aren’t late!” Tenma sat on the living room’s couch, waiting patiently for his mother to finish doing her stuff.

“This boy… he used to be late everywhere…,” the woman whispered to herself. “And now, he’s bossing me around to make sure I’m early…” She gave the mirror a sad look. “I have missed a lot of my boy’s life, haven’t I?”

Before Tenma could complain again about his mother’s unworrying slow pace on preparing herself, he heard his father come into the living room. “You’re already dressed? I thought you worked at night.”

“They want me early in the office today,” the father smiled. “I actually have to hurry up, I only have half an hour to have breakfast.”

“What?!” The woman poked her head from the bathroom’s door. “You told me you checked in at 8:00 AM!” She sighed, doing the last touches to her makeup. “Tenma, please make your father breakfast!”

“Alright!” Tenma disappeared into the kitchen and did breakfast as fast as possible. “Mom, are you done?!”

“Gee, yes, yes!” The mother exited the bathroom and went to the kitchen. “I hope you aren’t this bossy with your boyfriend!”

Tenma blushed and frowned. “I just want to arrive on time! I don’t want them to leave without me!” he retorted.

“I’m sure Tsurugi-kun wouldn’t leave without you,” the father commented, drinking his coffee.

Tenma looked at his father with wide eyes. “I-It’s not just about Tsurugi!”

“Sure, sure,” the woman laughed. “Let’s go, Tenma. You wanted to be early, didn’t you?”

“Let’s go, let’s go!” Tenma exclaimed, running to the entrance and putting on his sneakers as fast as possible.

* * *

The car was parked near the port. In less than a second, Tenma got his luggage from the trunk and ran towards his team, which already was there.

His mother followed him, feeling bittersweet.

“Well…” She started, once Tenma had reunited with his teammates. “I’m glad you came here. I’m sorry we still haven’t gotten a chance to go back…”

“Don’t worry, mom. I love living with Aki-nee!” Tenma went back to talking to Nishizono, as if this wasn’t the last time he was going to talk with his mother for at least another couple years.

“I see… Uhm, Tsurugi-kun.” The aforementioned boy looked at her with raised brows. “I’m sorry for how I have treated you… I hope life treats you better.”

Kyousuke looked at Tenma and smiled. “I think it already has.”

The woman laughed. Kyousuke really was a wonderful person for Tenma.

“Get your tickets ready, we’re leaving!” Endou announced, gesturing to the team to start entering the ship.

After everyone had gotten into the ship, Tenma heard a voice call his name.

“Have a nice trip, Tenma! Goodbye!” The woman waved a hand at her son.

The young boy returned the action. “Goodbye mom!”

The boat sailed and the woman hoped for her son to keep having a good life, surrounded by amazing friends.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> gonna have to give a huge sorry for giving this such a short ending
> 
> i barely have time to do stuff (yes, school) + whenever i have free time, i end up spending it playing genshin impact (i'm so hooked onto it) (-ω-、)
> 
> i hope i can get the halloween one-shot out on, well, halloween. i haven't even started it and only have two weeks left, ugh.
> 
> big apology for finishing the fic like this. i wanted to start already the next two fics but felt like i couldn't because i hadn't given this one an ending yet. though, i don't completely feel dissatisfied with it. i don't feel it leaves any threads of the story open.
> 
> the next longfic should come out on my birthday... if i've had time to write it. the outline's done, but writing it it's gonna be pretty complicated considering its themes. not that i'm not knowledgeable on the topic, but i don't want it to just be me self-projecting.
> 
> kudos and comments are appreciated! thx for reading and see y'all next time!


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